Around 3 a.m., a brawl broke out in the Waffle House parking lot at 601 E. New Bern Road. Lenoir County Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Heck, who was working security at the restaurant along with Deputy William Shambeau, were working inside the restaurant when they walked outside to make a security check of the parking lot.

According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, the pair observed William C. “Billy” Gibbs III standing next to a car and firing a handgun at another person in the parking lot. After the deputies commanded Gibbs to drop his weapon, the press release stated Gibbs did not comply and that Heck shot Gibbs.

Gibbs died from the wounds. He was 26 and a 2004 Kinston High School graduate.

The Kinston Department of Public Safety and the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident. Other than the statement given after 9 p.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office is not giving any comments now, instead directing media inquiries to the SBI. The SBI did not respond to media requests as of press time, although The Free Press made multiple attempts to get a statement.

Friends and family gathered at the home of Gibbs’ mother, Gwen, Sunday afternoon — cars covered the lawn as an atmosphere of mourning enveloped those talking in the driveway and inside the house. A woman speaking for the family said they were “devastated” and didn’t want to talk to media at that time.

News of Gibbs’ death spread quickly through social media. Keon Green posted on Facebook that he was with Gibbs earlier that night at Club Climax, getting home around the same time Gibbs was at Waffle House. Less than an hour later, Green learned from Facebook posts that his friend died and a law enforcement officer was involved.

JaMaica Michelle Simmons commented Gibbs wasn’t a hot-head and that’s why the situation is odd. Altheiya Sheppard, who said she worked with Gibbs at Smithfield, commented, “He was a good dude; he didn’t bother anybody.”

Nick Pender, a 2007 North Lenoir High School graduate, wrote, “Man I’m hurt, my condolences go to the Gibbs family, Billy was a true role model to me and a lot of other folks I know.”

The Waffle House is a recent addition to Kinston, opening in October 2011. Store manager Bill Houston said he and others were told by law enforcement not to discuss the details of the matter as it was under investigation.

“We haven’t had any kind of problems whatsoever until last night — the first problem we had,” Houston said. “And it was all outside, so nothing in the restaurant.”

Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner said in a statement to WNCT CBS-9, “We make every effort to provide a safe environment for all of our customers and associates. We are cooperating with the authorities in this investigation and will conduct our own internal investigation. Since this is an ongoing investigation, we direct any questions regarding specifics to the local authorities. The safety and security of our customers and associates has been and will continue to be a top priority for Waffle House restaurants.”

Free Press Managing Editor Bryan C. Hanks contributed to this report. Wes Wolfe can be reached at (252) 559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @WolfeReports.

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